College of Charleston 5, Coastal Carolina 0
Coastal Carolina 2, College of Charleston 1 (9 innings)
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – The College of Charleston softball team stretched its winning streak to six games then saw it snapped as the Cougars took the opening end of a doubleheader against Coastal Carolina but fell in the second half of the twinbill.
The Cougars claimed a 5-0 win in the opener behind 12 hits and four Chanticleer fielding errors. Stephanie Saylors threw a complete-game one hitter in which she was perfect through five complete innings and took a no-hitter into the seventh.
The Cougars exploded for 12 hits led by Lizzy Vaughn going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
In the second game, the Cougars trailed 1-0 for much of the contest before extending the game to extra innings when they were down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh. Coastal plated another run in the ninth and CofC had no answer and eventually fell, 2-1.
Amanda Lonergan had two of CofC’s four hits in the game.
GAME ONE: CofC: 5, Coastal Carolina: 0
The Cougars’ 12 hits in the first game were the most the team has had since hitting the same number against South Carolina State on Feb. 28. CofC started early with a leadoff double by Vaughn then benefitted from a pair of Chanticleer fielding errors before Lonergan singled up the middle to put CofC up 2-0 after the first inning.
The Cougars added one more in the next frame with a leadoff walk from Mackenzie Maples and single by Ashton Jarrett which, with the help of a Coastal fielding error, were enough to plate a run.
In the fourth, Maples and Klicker both produced base hits before Vaughn delivered her second double of the day and brought both runners around to score and make the score 5-0.
Saylors was perfect until she walked the leadoff hitter in the sixth inning and Coastal’s lone hit in the game came in the seventh inning.
GAME TWO: CofC: 1, Coastal Carolina: 2 (9 innings)
After the Cougar bats thrived against Coastal’s ace pitcher, the Cougars struggled to produce offense in the pitchers’-duel oriented second game.
Both teams’ bats were quieted with the game’s only early run coming on a solo home run in the top of the fourth off the bat of Coastal’s Kory Hayden.
The teams then exchanged a few more quiet innings until the Cougars were down to their last set of at bats in the bottom of the seventh. Lonergan started the inning with a bunt single and her pinch runner, Chloe Fletcher took second on a sacrifice laid down by Kristy Giragosian. Down to their final out, the Cougars found heroics in their hot-hitting freshman, Maples, who continued her tear with a hard-hit single back up the middle.
The teams both went three-up, three-down in the eighth before the Chanticleers struck again in the ninth with a double, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly. The Cougars would have no answer in their half of the ninth and were then stung with the loss.
Giragosian extended her reaching base streak to 12 games in game one but failed to do so in the second. She did execute two sacrifice bunts, however.
Furman 3, Presbyterian 1
Furman 4, Presbyterian 3
Greenville, S.C. – Furman pitching limited Presbyterian to just two earned runs over 14 innings to claim a 3-1, 4-3 doubleheader sweep of the Blue Hose in non-conference softball action on Wednesday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Game 1
Senior Hannah Bradley tossed a complete-game, five-hitter in the opener to guide the Paladins to a 3-1 victory.
Bradley, a native of Marietta, Ga., allowed just a seventh inning run while fanning three Presbyterian batters and walking two over seven innings of work to improve to 3-5 in the circle.
The Paladins (10-17) got on the board with a pair of unearned runs in the third off of PC starter Leslie Hensley. Ambree Muller reached with one out when Hensley fielded the freshman’s bunt in hit her in the back with her throw to first base. After Nikki Legg reached on a fielder’s choice that erased Muller at second, Taylor Jenkins tripled to right field to score Legg and give Furman the 1-0 lead. Jessie Homesley reached on a throwing error by the PC shortstop that allowed Jenkins to score and give the Paladins a 2-0 cushion.
Furman added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to up its lead to 3-0. Homesley drew a leadoff walk and scampered to third base when Hensley mishandled Emily Boyer’s sacrifice bunt. Natalie Clemmons bounded a grounder to second to chase home Homesley with the Paladins third run.
Presbyterian (8-15) got a rally started in the seventh as Morgan Durham drew a leadoff walk and scored on Rachel Hopper’s single down the left field line following a wild pitch, but Bradley fanned the next two batters and got Cat Tarvin to pop up to shortstop to end the game.
Legg and Jenkins each went 1-for-3 with a run while Jenkins added an RBI as the Paladins win despite recording just three hits.
Hensley, who allowed three unearned runs on three hits in six innings of work, suffered the loss for PC to fall to 5-8.
Game 2
In game two, Shelby Parker threw 6.1 innings of three-hit ball and Lakyn Shull recorded her third save of the season to help Furman rally for a 4-3 victory.
After Legg opened the bottom of the first with a double and scored on Homesley’s RBI single through the left side, Presbyterian plated three runs in the top of the second with the help of two hits and three Paladin miscues in the field. Hopper opened the frame with a single and PC put runners at first and second when Clemmons fielded Durham’s sacrifice bunt attempt and made an errant throw to second. Erin Taylor followed with a two-run double into the left-center field gap and later scored when Boyer muffed a throw to first on Lyndsey York’s sacrifice bunt attempt.
Trailing 3-1, Furman bounced back in the bottom of the frame as Clemmons singled up the middle to open the inning, moved to second on Hope Smith’s sacrifice and scored when Sarah Eidt lined a single into center.
The Paladins pulled even in the bottom of the third inning on an unearned run. Homesley reached on a fielding error by the PC shortstop, moved to second on Shull’s sacrifice and scored on Clemmons’ single to right field.
Furman broke the deadlock and took the lead for good in the bottom half of the fifth. Legg single to start innings before advancing to second base on a passed ball. After moving to third on Jenkins’ sacrifice bunt, she scored on Homesley’s sacrifice fly to right field.
Presbyterian looked to mount a rally of its own in the seventh as Courtney Lawton and Mary Ellen Morris drew back-to-back walks with one out, but Shull entered the game to fan Tarvin and induce a game-ending ground out by Tera Powell to give Furman the sweep.
Parker improved to 2-1 by holding the Blue Hose to just one earned run on three hits in 6.1 innings. She struck out four batters and issued just two walks.
Clemmons paced the Paladins at the plate going 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Legg went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Homesley added a pair of RBI in the Furman victory.
Reliever Kensley Loudermelk (3-3) took the loss for Presbyterian allowing one run on three hits in three innings of work. She did not allow a walk while striking out three.
Furman concludes its 10-game homestand this weekend when it hosts UNC Greensboro for a three-game Southern Conference series at Pepsi Stadium. First pitch of Saturday’s doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. with a single game slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.